Inflatable canopy



Nov. 8, 1966 o. a. HARRIS INFLATABLE CANOPY Filed May 28, 1964 INVENTOR Ofwuy G. Horrils ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,283,806 INFLATABLE CANOPY Otway G. Harris, Richmond, Va., assignor to The American Tobacco Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,894 1 Claim. (Cl. 160-264) This invention relates to a protective canopy or cover for a loading dock, and more particularly to an inflatable canopy adapted to extend over -a vehicle being loaded at the dock.

It is often desirable to provide protection from inclement weather or direct sunlight for mechandise or materials being transferred to or from vehicles (for example, motor trucks or railroad cars) located at the loading dock of an industrial plant, warehouse or other such facility. As a consequence, loading docks and loading areas are frequently provided with canopies or roof-like covers which extend over the loading dock and the adjacent loading area to provide the desired protection from the elements. However, when the loading dock abuts a public thoroughfare or private property belonging to another party, for example, a railroad spur, the property on which the vehicle is located and which comprises a part of the loading area cannot be used to provide support for a rooflike canopy extending over the loading area nor can a cantilever-type canopy which extends over the neighboring property be permanently erected.

In order to provide shelter for loading docks and the like at locations that will not permit the erection of permanent, conventionally supported roof-like structures or weather shields, I have devised an inflatable canopy fabricated from relatively air-tight sheet material or fabric that is adapted to extend rigidly over a vehicle being loaded at the loading dock when the canopy is inflated and to be retracted by being rolled up on -a rotatable mandrel when the canopy is deflated. My new inflatable, roller retractable canopy assembly for a loading dock comprises a rotatable mandrel, means for rotating the mandrel and an inflatable canopy mounted on the rotatable mandrel. The inflatable canopy has a wedge-shaped cross section when inflated and comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, two wedge-shaped side panels, a base end panel, a forward edge panel, a tube-like stiffening member located at and coextensive with the forward edge panel, and means for preventing the top and bottom panels of the inflatable canopy from ballooning apart when the canopy is inflated. The base end of the canopy is secured to the rotatable mandrel, and at least one and preferably two tie-down straps are secured to the forward edge of the canopy. Means are provided for inflating the canopy, said means preferably comprising a flexible conduit connected to the forward edge cf the canopy and to a source of low pressure air. The top and bottom panels, the side wall panels, the end wall panel and the front edge panel of the canopy are all fabricated from a pliant sheet material such as balloon cloth or fabric reinforced rubber that is capable of retaining air within the inflatable canopy when it is in use. The wedge-shaped configuration of the inflated canopy contributes significantly to the stiffness and rigidity of the structure, and the pliant sheet material from which the canopy is fabricated permits the deflated canopy to be retracted and rolled up on the rotatable mandrel.

My new roller retractable inflatable canopy for loading docks and the like will be better understood from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the inflated canopy extending over the top of two railroad cars,

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FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the canopy shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the inflated canopy showing the internal structure designed to prevent ballooning apart of the top and bottom panels of the canopy.

My new inflatable canopy is designed to be used at locations which will not permit the construction of permanent, conventionally supported weather shields. For example, the loading deck 10 of thewarehouse or industrial plant 11 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a permanent roof or cover 12 which extends to the property line of the plant. However, the roof 12 cannot provide adequate protection for material being loaded on or off the railroad cars 13 and 14 positioned on the railroad spur or siding 15 extending alongside the loading dock 10. Moreover, the loading clock 10 directly abuts the right-of-way of the railroad siding 15, and railroad prop erty cannot be used to provide support for a roof-like weather shield nor can a permanent cantilever-type structure be erected thereover. Therefore, in order to provide protection for materials being loaded on or off freight cars on the siding 15, I have devised the inflatable and retractable canopy described herein.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inflatable, retractable canopy assembly of my invention comprises a rotatable drum or mandrel 20 rotatably mounted on support brackets 21 secured to the roof 12 of the loading dock. An electric motor or other means 22 for rotating the mandrel 20 is also mounted at a convenient location on the roof 12. The inflatable canopy 23 is mounted on and secured to the rotatable mandrel 20 so that, when the canoy is deflated, it can be rolled up and stored on the mandrel 20. When inflated as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wedge-shaped canopy 23 extends outwardly over the railroad cars or other vehicles positioned :at the loading dock, the forward edge of the canopy being held in place by the tie-down straps 24 and 25.

The canopy 23 is fabricated from a pliant sheet material or fabric such as balloon cloth or fabric reinforced rubber that is substantially impervious to the passage of air therethrough. As shown best in FIG. 3, the canopy comprises a top panel 27, a bottom panel 28, wedgeshaped side panels 29, a base end panel 31 and a forward edge panel 32. A tube-like stiffening member 34 is located at the forward edge panel 32 and extends the length of this panel. Anti-ballooning means are provided for preventing the top panel 27 and bottom panel 28 from ballooning apart when the canopy is inflated, such means advantageously comprising the taps 36 shown in FIG. 3 which [are attached alternately to the inside surface of the top and bottom panels of the canopy. Other anti-ballooning means such as those employed in the construction of air mattresses and the like may be utilized to control the shape and configuration of the canopy.

The inflatable canopy 23 is connected to a source of low pressure .ai-r (indicated by the valve 38 shown in FIG. 1) by means of a suitable conduit such as a length of hose or flexible tubing. Advantageously, the function of the conduit and the function of one or both of the tiedown straps 24 and 25 can be combined. For example, the tie-down strap 24 can comprise a flat, tube-like structure of balloon cloth or rubberized fabric one end of which is connected to and communicates with the interior of the canopy 23 at the forward edge thereof and the other end of which is connected to the source of low pressure air at the valve 38.

As shown in FIG. 1, the canopy 23 is secured at its base end to the rotatable mandrel 20. When the canopy is not in use, it is deflated and rolled up on the mandrel 20. When the canopy is placed in use, the mandrel is rotated so as to unroll the deflated canpoy, and the canopy is carried or pulled out over the vehicle or vehicles located at the loading dock. As the canopy is rolled up on the mandrel 20 when not in use and is unrolled when it is placed in use, it is possible to control the extent to which the canopy extend-s over the area adjacent the loading dock. Thus, if the canopy is designed to extend over two railroad cars as shown in FIG. 1, but if there is only one car at the loading dock, the canopy can, if de sired, be partially unrolled so that it extends over only a portion ie. the portion occupied by the single car).of the loading area adjacent the loading dock. On the other hand, if there are two cars located at the loading dock, the canpoy can be fully unrolled as shown in FIG. 1 so that it extends over both of the cars at the dock. When the canopy is in position over the car or cars at the loading dock, it is inflated by introducing low pressure .air thereinto through the combination flexible tube and tie-down strap 24. When fully inflated with air the wedge-shaped canopy provides a stiff, relatively rigid weather shield adapted to protect meaterials being loaded on or oi the cars at the siding.

When the loading operation is over and it is desired to remove the inflatable canopy, the tie-down straps are released and the low pressure air conduit is disconnected and allowed to exhaust to the atmosphere. The rotatable mandrel 20 is then rotated to roll up the canopy, and as the pliant fabric of the canopy is wrapped around the rotating mandrel the air within the canopy is expelled therefrom through the open end of the air conduit.

From the foregoing description of my unique inflatable, roller retractable canopy for loading docks and the like it will be seen that I have made an important contribution to the art to which my invention relates.

I claim:

An inflatable and retractable canopy assembly for a loading dock adapted to extend over a vehicle being loaded at the dock comprising:

(a) a rotatable mandrel,

(b) means for rotating the mandrel,

(c) an inflatable canopy cover having a wedge-shaped cross sectional section when inflated, said canopy being fabricated from a pliant sheet material capable of retaining air within the canopy when the canopy is inflated and comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, two wedge-shaped side panels, a base end panel, a forward edge panel, a tube-like stiifening number at the forward edge panel extending substantially the length of the forward edge panel, and means connected to the top and bottom panels for preventing the top and bottom panels from ballooning apart when the canopy is inflated, the base end of the canopy being secured .to the rotatable mandrel,

(d) a source of low pressure air for inflating the inflatable canopy, and

(e) at least two tie-down straps secured to the forward edge of the inflatable canopy, one of said tie-down straps comprising a flat tube-like structure of pliant, substantially air-tight sheet material one end of which communicates with the interior of the canopy at the forward edge thereof and the other end of which is connected to said source of low pressure air.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 162,921 7/1914 Hodges 160-310 X 1,701,793 2/1929 Nelson 160--71X 2,895,490 7/1959 Dimond 52-2 3,055,379 9/1962 Fink 522 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,957 8/1894 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

